


Posy

by iisaax



Series: Inflorescence [12]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Drabble Collection, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Ficlet Collection, Fluff and Angst, Genderfluid Character, Holidays, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, M/M, Other, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Schmoop, Seriously it's so fluffy, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Character, my heart hurts just writing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-01 05:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15767922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iisaax/pseuds/iisaax
Summary: po·sy/ˈpō-zē/1. a brief sentiment, motto, or legend2. a small bunch of flowers





	1. Honeysuckle

**Author's Note:**

> Hi again! This is just a short and sweet little collection of mini-fics. Hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _hon·ey·suck·le_  
>  /ˈhə-nē-ˌsə-kəl/  
> 1\. any of a genus of shrubs with flowers rich in nectar  
> 2\. represents affection in the form of a lover's embrace

Bucky could probably spend every second of every day in Steve’s arms.

They’re lying on his chest, one of their favorite places to be. His hand is slowly rubbing their back, tracing patterns and occasionally pausing by the nape of their neck to comb through their hair. His hand is warm, solid against Bucky’s skin, and Bucky couldn’t be happier. Bucky closes their eyes and listens to his heartbeat, strong and steady. They run the tips of their fingers up the inside of his arm, and then back down, feeling goosebumps form. They gently intertwine their fingers with his. 

They lift their head, propping up on an arm, just to look. Steve’s eyes are closed, his eyelashes long and fanned out over his cheekbones. When he feels Bucky shift, he turns his head and peers down. His face immediately spreads into a small smile and he brushes the hair away from their forehead.

“Hey.”

Bucky smiles right back. “Hey.”

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” Bucky squeezes his hand. “Just wanted to see you.”

Steve’s brow quirks up at that, expression turning soft. He turns back to the side and closes his eyes, running a hand to Bucky’s back to ebb up and down. Bucky lays their head down and brings their clasped hands up to press their cheek against them like a pillow. Steve laughs, soft, and leans down to kiss the top of their head. Then, he settles back, sighing happily.

Yeah, Bucky thinks as they gently rise and fall with Steve’s breathing. They could do this all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning from [auntyflo.com](https://www.auntyflo.com/flower-dictionary/honeysuckle-flower)


	2. Acacia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _aca·cia_  
>  /ə-ˈkā-shə/  
> 1\. any of a large genus of leguminous shrubs and trees with white or yellow flower clusters  
> 2\. represents secret, concealed love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: takes place before Bucky comes out to Steve

Steve was out on the fire escape, sweating through his shirt and drawing in his notebook. He was trying to draw Bucky from memory, but couldn’t get his eyes quite right. He erased it yet again, sighing. A familiar sound came from behind him, and sure enough, Bucky crawled out of the window and situated beside him. 

“Hey,” he said, spreading his long legs out in front of him.

Steve glanced over, still scribbling. “Hey, Buck. How was work?”

“Good. I’m exhausted, though. Too damn hot to be lifting boxes all day.” He then stretched, and Steve stole another glance, watching as he pulled his arms up over his head and groaned, hair curly with sweat and skin glowing in the pink-orange light of the setting sun. Steve's hands itched to turn the page and start laying down more lines.

It was over too soon, though, and Bucky sighed, putting his arms back down. He closed his eyes, and his lashes spread over his cheekbones as he relaxed against the brick. Steve tore his eyes away and back to his sketch. He moved on to his mouth, curved in a smile, and shaded his hair, slicked back and smooth.

“Whatcha drawin’?”

Steve jumped, holding the sketchbook against his chest. “Nothin’.”

“Come on, lemme see,” Bucky leaned over, trying to peek. Steve wiggled away, cheeks warming. “Steve. _Steve_.” Steve shook his head, embarrassed. Bucky eventually sat back, rolling his eyes. “Alright, fine. I’ll just go back inside.”

Steve caught his arm as he tried to leave, “Wait! I’ll show you.”

Bucky grinned, and leaned over again to see. His smile quickly dropped, and he inched closer. Steve bit the inside of his cheek.

“Do you… like it?”

Bucky reached out and almost touched it, but stopped short, probably remembering it would smudge the charcoal. “Wow…” he breathed. “Steve, that’s _amazin’_.”

Steve sighed, relieved. “You think so? ‘M not done yet - I can’t get your eyes right…”

“I love it,” they told him, face serious and awfully close to Steve’s. “Can I keep this?”

Steve swallowed, mouth dry. “You gotta let me finish it first.”

Bucky nodded enthusiastically, sitting back. Steve let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and went back to drawing.

They sat for a long while, just enjoying each other’s company, Bucky watching the sun dip behind the buildings in front of them, and listening to the cicadas sing. Steve eventually put away the sketchbook and leaned back against the wall. The temperature began to drop, and he scooted a little closer to Bucky as his sweat started to cool. Buck slung an arm over his bony shoulders and pulled him close, startling him. 

“This okay?” he asked, peering down at Steve. Steve forced himself to relax and nodded, cozying up to his side. Bucky smiled, and looked back out to the city. Steve could hear his heart, and smell his musk, and he closed his eyes, appreciating the moment. More than okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning from [auntyflo.com](https://www.auntyflo.com/flower-dictionary/acacia)


	3. Delphinium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _del·phin·i·um_  
>  /delˈfinēəm/  
> 1\. a popular garden plant of the buttercup family that bears tall spikes of blue flowers  
> 2\. represents levity, fun; ardent attatchment and joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by [Cards and Quarters by Local Natives](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzw5QPSJDIM). Such a sweet song.

Bucky peeks up from over their book and raises an eyebrow.

Steve responds by holding up an armful of pillows and blankets. Bucky rolls their eyes, grinning and dog-earing their page. They put it aside and follow Steve back into the bedroom, picking up a few pillows as they fall from Steve’s arms. 

Steve drops the mountain of sheets onto their bed and immediately starts to strip, taking off his shirt and shimmying out of his pajama pants. Bucky laughs, and follows, unbuttoning their own shirt. 

“So it’s one of those pillow forts?” they toss their overshirt to the side, and Steve turns, catching them in a quick kiss. 

“Mm-mm,” he hums against their lips. “Just want to be close to you.”

Bucky pulls back, probably making heart-eyes. Steve smiles softly at them and leans in for another peck, then he sits, pulling down Bucky’s jeans. Bucky helps him out, lifting a foot, then the other, then kicking the pants aside. Steve moves further on to the bed and starts situating their fort.

Bucky peels off their undershirt and makes their way around the room, turning off all the lights. Then, they softly close the door and return to the bed, where Steve has draped a blanket over the headboard down to the footboard and is currently moving around inside, probably surrounding their spot with pillows. Bucky lifts one side of the blanket and crawls inside.

Steve is fluffing a pillow for them to lay their heads on, but when he sees Bucky, he pats it down and curls up, holding out his arms.

Bucky smiles, and lies down next to him. Steve intertwines their legs together and grabs their hand, holding it close against his chest, stretching the other arm under Bucky’s head. Bucky settles in and scoots close. 

Steve kisses them, slow and sweet. He rubs a thumb over the back of their hand and inches impossibly closer, warmth radiating off of him. Bucky sighs happily.

Steve pulls back, mumbling through a smile, “What?”

“Nothin’. I just love you.” Bucky kisses him again, quick.

It’s Steve’s turn to sigh, and they snuggle up, just holding each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning from [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_symbolism)


	4. Gorse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _gorse_  
>  /ɡôrs/  
> 1\. a yellow-flowered shrub of the pea family  
> 2\. represents love in all seasons

Steve loves them in spring, haloed by grass and smiling up at the sky, pointing out clouds that look like this and like that, spinning in sundresses and giggling when they fall down. He loves them making breakfast with all the windows open, singing along to the phonograph, moving their hips back and forth when they think he’s still asleep. He loves their hair, long in a braid and decorated with clovers, and he loves their perfume, flowery and light. Steve loves them in spring.

Steve loves them in summer, snoozing on his lap, too hot to leave the couch, glistening with sweat. He loves them in the cold shower after a run, humming to hear the acoustics and molding his hair into absurd shapes, grinning in the spray. He loves them sitting out on the fire escape, watching the sunset like they always used to, snacking on watermelon and getting juice all over their chin and spitting the seeds down onto the street, laughing. Steve loves them in summer.

Steve loves them in fall, leaves sticking to their sweater and their leggings, hands curled around a warm cup of so-sweet coffee. He loves them baking, bringing presents to all their friends, saving the best cookies or pieces of pie for him, filling the house with pumpkin and cinnamon and plum. He loves them with their nose buried in a book as they run a hand through his hair, stilling at the extra-suspenseful parts, then resuming at the calm parts. Steve loves them in fall.

Steve loves them in winter, bundled up and wrapped in scarves, breathing through their mouth just to see their breath, stomping the snow off their boots by the door so his rugs don’t get wet. He loves them in the backyard after lunch, impatient to resume their snow-people, stealing his shield to complete the pair. He loves their excitement before he opens their gift, and the tearful hug that comes after his, the piles of wrapping paper and bows. Steve loves them in winter.

And he’s almost positive Bucky loves him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> full disclosure writing this chapter made me cry
> 
> ALSO I GOT A REALLY SWEET MESSAGE TODAY I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I LOVE Y'ALL <3 thank you for reading and commenting and leaving kudos i've had so much fun posting on here and it's all thanks to you guys <3 <3 <3
> 
> Flower meaning from [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_symbolism)


	5. Almond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _al·mond_  
>  /ˈä(l)mənd,ˈa(l)mənd/  
> 1\. the tree that produces almonds, belonging to the rose family and related to the peach and plum  
> 2\. represents hope and contemplation; a promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by [Laughter Lines by Bastille](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ccFSXgdv5U).

“I swear to you, Buck,” Steve’s face had been deadly serious, unfazed by the tears streaming down. “Cross my heart and hope to die, I’ll stay alive to see you back from the war. And when you get back,” his voice wavered with a sob. “Because I _know_ you will. I’ll see us grow old together. I _swear_ I will.”

Bucky reached out a hand and wiped his cheeks. He caught it and kept it there, pressing his face to it.

“I _promise_ ,” he whispered, eyes shut tight.

Bucky pulled him close, burying their face in his neck. He weeped, unabashed, against their palm, clutching tight with his other hand to the back of their shirt. Bucky soothed a hand up and down the bumps of his spine, and let it rest at the nape of his neck, carding through the short hairs there.

Steve pulled back after a long while, face flushed and eyes bluer than ever. He dropped Bucky’s hand and stared down at it, hiccuping breaths. Bucky gently tilted his face up and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, his cheekbone, his jaw.

“I’ll hold you to that,” they mumbled, moving back to his lips. “You owe me some wrinkles, Rogers.”

Steve gave a wet laugh, and softly kissed them.

-

Bucky wakes up to a gentle touch to their face. Steve freezes, and retracts his hand.

“Sorry,” he whispers. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Bucky yawns, stretching, and glances over Steve’s shoulder to eye the clock. It’s nearly one in the morning. They settle back down, closing their eyes. “Can’t sleep?” they ask, a little slurred.

“No… I’ve been thinkin’.”

“You and your thinkin’... What about?”

Steve sniffs, and Bucky opens their eyes, catching him wiping his eyes. “I’m just… thinkin’. Go back to bed.”

Bucky looks at him, searching his face, but he seems set on Bucky dropping it, so they turn away and try to sleep. Nothing happens for a long while, and Bucky almost drifts off, then Steve speaks, so quiet Bucky almost doesn’t catch it at first.

“Do you remember…”

Bucky turns over onto their back and looks at him. He’s biting at his lip, like he does when he wants to ask Bucky a thousand questions but has to decide on one.

“Do you remember the days right before you shipped out?”

Bucky thinks on it, then nods, quiet.

“Do you remember… What I swore to you?”

Bucky nods again, face breaking out into a grin. “Is that what you’re thinkin’ about? Stevie…”

Steve huffs a teary laugh, rolling his eyes. He reaches out and strokes a thumb over the corner of Bucky’s eyes, over their crow’s feet and down to their cheek, where a decade of emotions have finally drawn lines. His smile shakes.

Bucky touches his wrist and maneuver’s his hand so it’s clutching theirs, laid against their chest.

“I’m just…“ Steve laughs again. “I never thought I’d actually get to see it.”

Bucky kisses him, the side of his nose, his temple, his forehead, tracing a path along the light indentions in his skin, the barely-there evidence of his real age. Their real ages.

“Neither did I,” they tell him, and he holds them tight, and doesn’t let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :'-)
> 
> Plant meaning is from [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_symbolism) and [gardenerdy.com](https://gardenerdy.com/list-of-flowers-their-meanings)


	6. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _mis·tle·toe_  
>  /ˈmi-səl-ˌtō/  
> 1\. a European semiparasitic green shrub with thick leaves and waxy-white glutinous berries  
> 2\. represents a promise of peace; a traditional kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's currently 90 degrees where I live (a rare break from the over-100s) and I'm kinda craving the holidays so. Here u go.

It was Bucky’s idea. They were cozying up next to the heater with Steve when they leaned up against him and said, “We should throw a party.” 

Steve had looked over, a little surprised, and asked, “Really?”

Bucky nudged him. “Well, yeah. We can have it at your floor at the tower. Y’know, a Christmas party.”

“Not a late Hanukkah?”

“Nah,” Bucky moved to get up. “Had enough gelt to last me another lifetime.”

“Those are for kids, y’know.”

Bucky stuck out their tongue, heading to the kitchen. Steve stood and followed them, blanket cape trailing. 

“Where are you goin’?” he asked, already getting a little cold.

Bucky looked over their shoulder, smiling. “Gotta make invitations.”

-

Invitations turned out to be gingerbread cupcakes, complete with little customized toppers for all their friends. Sam especially pretended not to be charmed.

Steve finishes off his own invitation (“Of course I’m gonna make my best guy a cupcake!” they had cried, scandalized) and tosses the wrapper in the trash can propped up beside his step-ladder. Then, he reaches down for another decoration - yet another paper snowflake - and pins it up. Bucky, being the Pinterest fiend they are, must to have made a thousand, claiming if they were such a special snowflake, they should at least decorate with their brethren. Steve had just rolled his eyes. 

“Maybe a little higher?”

Steve glances down at Bucky, who is watching with a thoughtful hand on their hip. “Do  _ you  _ wanna do it?”

“And risk falling and hurting myself? No way. I’m too fragile, remember?”

“It was  _ one _ Fox segment,” Steve laughs, pinning the snowflake a little higher up. “I think you need to move on.”

“Says the one who got all in a tizzy over a tweet the other day,” Bucky grins.

Steve steps down from the ladder. “Touché. Why d’you wanna make ‘em higher?”

“Gotta have room for the mistletoe!”

“Aw, c’mon.” Steve moves the ladder over so he can reach the other side of the wall. “That’s so cheesy.”

Bucky shrugs.

Steve turns and kisses them quick on the cheek. “I think you just want an excuse to kiss me.”

Bucky catches him in a real kiss. “You caught me,” they mumble against his lips, smiling.

“Mmmm-hm. Knew it.”

Bucky shoves him away, smile widening. “Whatever.”

-

Natasha is the first to arrive, always on time, with Clint and Sam in tow. Clint and Nat are wearing shirts with “Naughty” written on it in red, and Sam has a shirt with “Nice” in green. Bucky argues with Sam over whether or not he deserves the “Nice” shirt as other people flood into the room. Steve eventually spots Bruce - not wearing an ugly sweater, thank God - and heads to him.

Bruce looks over from his conversation with Thor (who is wearing a sweater with some text Steve doesn’t even try to comprehend) and smiles. “Oh hey, Steve.”

“Hey,” Steve shoves his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for coming. I need some sanity right about now.”

Bruce laughs, soft, and nods, sipping his drink. “Thanks for the invitation.”

“Ah, that was all Bucky. They’ve been a whirlwind of party-planning.”

“I can see that,” Bruce peers around the room. “It looks good.”

Steve follows his gaze, and - okay, he can admit it - the decorations do look really good. He can already see people stopping at the mistletoe hung from the ceiling in the middle of the floor. Currently, Clint is all but holding Bucky down to plant a lipstick-red kiss to their cheek. Wait, is he wearing lipstick?

Steve excuses himself to go rescue Bucky, narrowly missing a few conversations on the way, and reaches them just as Clint is laughing uproariously. Bucky wipes their stained cheek, scowling, but their face lights up when they see Steve. 

They shoo Clint and grab Steve, pulling him close by his flannel. They smile up at him, smelling of nutmeg and alcohol and of them. 

“Hi,” they say sweetly.

“Hey. You already break into the eggnog?”

Bucky tilts their head side to side, pretending to think on it. “Maybe.”

Steve laughs, then tucks a loose hair behind their ear where it had fallen from their bun. “I’ve gotta say. The mistletoe idea is kinda growing on me.”

“Yeah?” they laugh back, a little breathless. “What makes you say that?”

Steve shrugs, leaning in. “Oh, nothin’.” 

Bucky wraps their arms around his neck and kisses him, nearly glowing.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I changed my icon! Just letting y'all know lol
> 
> Plant meaning from [whats-your-sign.com](https://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-mistletoe-meaning-more-than-christmas-decorations.html)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! See you soon.
> 
> P.S. Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://highrothgar.tumblr.com)!


End file.
